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Karissa Collins has a public Facebook which she treats as a daily preachy blog. She has a beautiful family and 7 kids (and counting). She is proudly quiverfull and anti-feminist. She also takes good photos everyday but photoshops them a lot. Most of her daily Facebook public posts are about being quiverfull, feminism, and spanking. She recently had her 7th baby, a premie named Ansjer “Answer”. All kids have names beginning with A. She also hands a free copy of Be Fruitful and Multiply book to anyone who asks.
Here is is a recent snippet:
”Meant to be...
"Whatever is meant to be will happen." I hear it all the time. We say this a lot. It is most often said as a way to escape responsibility for a decision we just aren't sure how to make. We are too afraid to make a wrong decision so instead of seeking God, we do what is the most comfortable and comfort our decision with this blanket statement.
I hear this the most when it comes to family planning. We are too afraid to have a baby too soon, we don't want to put our dreams on hold, we never planned on more than three children, we don't feel like we can afford more, we don't want to mess up our body, we don't have good pregnancies, we had a scary birth, we had a NICU baby, our doctor tells us it is too dangerous to continue and so on. We stand firm on the Word in other areas. We recognize fear in other situations and stand firm against it but when it comes to having children, we rationalize fear to be okay. We rationalize the world's ways to just make sense. We call children a blessing but only when we get to plan it out. So instead of making the hard decision, (the one frowned upon even in the church today) and trust God to give us as many children as He sees fit, we chalk it up to destiny. Whatever is meant to be will happen.
Let me just challenge this thinking for a minute. If this is true, if whatever is meant to be will happen, then why take a pill every month that is laced with chemicals? Why insert a foreign object in hopes to terminate a possible pregnancy or stop one from forming? Why get surgery to remove body parts if God will give you as many as He wants anyway? Why aren't more women having babies in the midst of birth control and surgeries? Yes, it happens (science is flawed) but it is very rare.
A lot of people look at me and think I was just made for this. I must have dreamt of having children as a child. I must have made motherhood my mission growing up. And this couldn't be further from the truth. First of all, I mother in God's strength (well most days) and therefore when we trust God, we are all made for it. Secondly, I never pictured a life of motherhood. I pictured a life in the spotlight traveling the world and singing for millions. But God changed my heart when I dug into His Word and sought His will.
All I did was align my desires with His desires.
As Christians, we can't have this whatever is meant to be mentality. That mentality discredits our trust in God. If all non- Christians and Christians can live however they want and they will all have as many children as God allows, then there is no point in striving for God's will. There is no point in faith and trusting in God. This gives believers and non-believers the same end result. And whether you trust in God or not you'll get His will. And that is definitely not the Bible I read every day.
So why are so many women limiting their family size? Why is birth control and surgery the norm in the church? Why do our families look so much like the world? Why do most pastors give the same advice as a secular counselor when it comes to family planning? First of all, spiritual warfare. Satan is destroying the family unit. Through divorce and fear. He is blinding us from the truth. Bibles are even being translated to remove the word children and replace it with blessing. The feminist movement started a revolution for women to become men and abandon their God-given ability to bear children. To instead pursue careers and prove they can do what men do. And it is destroying Christian families. Secondly, this topic is flat out off limits in church. No one talks about it. Not many preach on it. It is a "personal" decision that is off limits. So why would Christians go against the norms of society to pursue God's Word when there isn't anyone educating Christians on God's Word and will in this area. How much easier is it to make our own decision in comfort and fear and say well..."whatever is meant to be will happen anyway."
A lot of people even use ministry as an out. They say that a lot of children will prevent them from spreading the gospel and limit their outreach and ability to serve. And personally this couldn't be farther from the truth. The more children I have, the more opportunity I have each day to spread the gospel. People stop me everywhere I go. Everyone wants to know why and how. The more children I have, the harder I press into Christ. The more I trust God in this area especially, the stronger my faith becomes. And the more children I have, the larger my outreach becomes. When I am gone, I can rest assured that God will still be lived out, spoken about and multiplied.
And there isn't anything more intimidating to satan.
The hard truth is that a lot of us are missing out on great blessings for our families and for the kingdom.
Galatians 6:7-10
"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."
She also reposts all the pics and blogs to her public Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecollinskids/?hl=en

I have been following this fundy for about 3 years now.
She is young, (26) with 3 kids and states she is quiverfull, IFB, KJV only, flat earther, faith healing, recently mentioning becoming a Breathetarian because Jesus. She deleted a bunch of crazy posts exposing all the Satans and Demons and illuminatis , which is a bummer.
You can find all this and more on FB: Danielle Krystina Matias and a page Fourth watchmen of the end times bible prophecy. IG: Godspresense ( danni Matias) , Pandy4god.
There are probably more, she's had lots. She is a classic deleter/blocker so becareful unless you are done!
Let me know if you ck her out.
ETA: This is my first time making a subject, sorry if I am unclear or doing something wrong!

I just watched a show about the Andrea Yates case. I was a kid when it happened so I didn't know too much about it. Holy goodness. It reminds me of different fundies we snark on. The living in a bus, following a preacher who says most people are going to hell, the no birth control despite major mental health issues, etc. It was very upsetting and tragic. Wow. I had no idea. It makes things like Teri Maxwell's depression in her quiverfull, religious, homeschooling lifestyle sound even more dangerous than I thought.
A Mother's Madness:

I've been watching the series following Miriam Margolous. [Please correct my spelling of her name] In the final episode she traveled through Texas and stayed with a family called Flanders. Fudie alarm bells all over. 12 kids. Wll of photos with the quiver quote above. A Tedd Tripo book amoungst their religious reading. They were not skirts only but homeschooled. Miriam liked the family but made the mum cry when she talked about not agreeing with religion.
Edited to add I have found a blog
http://lovinglifeathome.com

I stumbled across her blog some time ago. At first she looked like a normal, evangelical mum with lots of kids. After some time, I realized that she subscribes to the quiverfull ideology. She is dressed pretty modern, homeschools and seems pretty normal. There isn't a lot of fundiegelical talk as well. But still, she is quiverfull, talks about child training, homeschools... On the other hand, her blog is posh, loads of DIY, fashion, travel. So a modern quiverfull mom?
I did not find a thread on her, so I decided I should create my own.
http://misformama.net/
http://misformama.net/2012/10/q-with-five-days5-ways.html

This thread is about Elizabeth Johnston's blog "The Activist Mommy." She was kicked off of Facebook in February over things she posted about the LBGT community. She made a stink and was reinstated. Her being banned for a short time drew attention from conservatives who flock to stories of Christian persecution. So her blog is more popular than ever.
She often makes her video blogs while sitting in her bus with random music in the background. Some background info: She is from the Johnston family that has been talked about a little on FJ. She has 10 children. Her husband is Patrick Johnston and he is a prolife doctor who believes ectopic pregnancies should be left in god's hands. She likes to protest with her kids at planned parenthood and spent weeks a year or so ago traveling to Kim Davis (staying for weeks) in support of her. They are friends with other famous FJ fundie families like the Mortons, Campanas, Roberts, and a few others in that group.
https://m.facebook.com/theactivistmommy/?tsid=0.9625496389776989&source=typeahead
This is her FB blog page. She makes video rants quite often if you want to take a look. Her latest is a rant on Tomi Lahren. Her past rants have been about the women's march, transgender rights and abortion.

I stumbled upon this family on social media. They have 9 (soon 10) children, they blog and (of course!!!), they sing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWzycOUrIYo.
Their blog is full of crazy: http://www.johnstonfamilyministry.com
A few favourites:
http://www.johnstonfamilyministry.com/blog/ten-most-common-gun-control-soundbites-refuted (Let's shoot each other!)
http://www.johnstonfamilyministry.com/article/ten-commandments-training-children (Let's hit our kids!)
http://www.johnstonfamilyministry.com/blog/check-out-our-new-t-shirt-designs (Let's hang people who are pro-choice! ... or something ...)
Have any of you ever heard of the Johnston Family?

If any of you ever get the chance, search on you tube and type in "Quiverfull". The video is the fist thumbnail that comes up and the video is posted by paulmartson. Anyway, it shows a fundie family in Virginia being interviewed by Jennifer London (of World Report). The family has seven kids and are admittedly part of the quiverfull movement. The parents (Brad and Allison Shed) raise their kids much like the Duggars. The oldest daughter Olivia, basically mothers her younger sisters (there is only one boy in the family). She talks very bubbly like the Duggar's Jill and is (from her words) pefectly content to practice her future role as Godly wife and homemaker. It is quite the interesting video.

I Was Trained for the Culture Wars in Home School, Awaiting Someone Like Mike Pence as a Messiah
I thought this was a really interesting break down of political views in fundamentalist culture. It definitely opened my eyes to some of their skewed reasoning.

There's this documentary series on Barcroft TV (YouTube) where this guy goes around the world looking to meet people of "human extreme". In this episode, he simply set out to find people who've had lots and lots of children (10+), but quickly found himself in over his head when he uncovered their motivations. Most of them are the epitome of quiverfull with a capital "Q", and what's striking is that it proves to be an international phenomenon. For fair warning, it gets kinda sad/creepy.
Watch the above or go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Fm2WGL4bo

I had a search, but couldn't find anyone discussing Jami Balmet of Young Wife's Guide (.com for those who are interested). Married at 19, although she and her husband dated since she was 17 and he was 19. She has a website " to help young women find their God-given calling as homemakers!"
More importantly though, she has twins who are three (Malachi and Micah), ANOTHER set of twins who are 11 months-ish (Ryder and Remington) and has just announced she is pregnant again. Holy fertility! The Duggars can only dream!
Among her cringeworthy tips are suggesting you ask your dad about how defrauding your outfit is if you still live at home and the fact that submitting to you rhusband is apparently good ministry because it shows how your relationship with God should be...

Help me if I'm doing this wrong. It's my first time starting a thread.
I noticed this morning that this 'Carry the Quiver' commented on one of my infertility pictures.
So I eventually found his personal account.
Anyone heard of this Jeff Roeters? Is he a fundie or friend of a fundie?

not sure how many of you have followed Kimberly and Mark from Raising Olives but they are/were the typical Reformed quiverfull parents of 11 and did the usual homeschooling/SAHD and had several posts about how college wasn't happening for their children, wasn't necessary, etc. Well, they have changed their minds because two of her children are going to Tennessee and King College which may be in PA and she says she has a third somewhere too. She doesnt really update her blog but this made me so happy. They seem to have been loosening the reins since their children did cross country/ wore shorts/etc. Another one freed!

I am part of a Quiverfull Facebook group. I joined it just to observe and learn. I am very shocked by the ideals. Nancy of Above Rubies is worshipped. They constantly debate and put down all forms of contraception, even natural family planning, and working mothers. I have never seen anything like it before. If a woman prevents using NFP she is a heathen. Most of the women are pregnant with their 7th or 9th child. Although they believe in submission, many complain that their husband "is not on board with trusting God in fertility" and ask for prayers that their husbands change. Can pregnancy be an addiction?

I know we have had discussions before about how many women have had health issues related to having too many children too close together. However, I was visiting family this weekend and an encounter I had at my aunt's house with a bunch of folks from my old fundie church brought up something I hadn't considered before. This was a "women's night out" dinner, and most of the people there were either friends of my mom and aunts, or women I'd grown up with. There were a few that had joined the church after I left as well. There was one young women among the newer group who just looked sickly. Her skin color was off, and she just seemed to be very uncomfortable physically. During a time of prayer requests, she and several others brought up "fertility concerns" and I noticed her facial expression then, kind of an odd "I know something you don't" smile.
Afterward, one of my cousins told me that she and several other young wives ate little and exercised like crazy to keep their cycle dormant so that they wouldn't have too many babies too soon. That just seemed so sad to me. I do to a certain extent understand the folks who just want to leave it up to God and NFP, but the mentality that makes women feel like they either have to have a baby each year or make themselves physically ill preventing it while pretending to aggressively try for a baby just bothers me.

I don't know it this is relevant, but I was wondering about all the religions that are similar to the Duggars' but aren't quite the same.
I know for one that the schwieters, they're an apostolic bunch, are very similar.
I went with one for a bit, a few months, and they all wore the very modest clothes and the girls had to have very long hair.
And in the end, the boy I went with, ended up marrying at 18 and having a baby not soon after with the girl he left for.
The only difference really, is that they allowed dancing and I went swing dancing quite a few times.

I just happen to be doing a research project on the Quiverful movement and I was wondering if the nice people of Free Jinger could help me.
Some questions I have:
I was wondering what families I should read up on?
What websites that would be helpful?
Also what texts should I be reading?
The average size family?
What region of the country that these Quiverful would be found in?
All I know is about the Druggars and even then it just the recent episodes from when Derrick started to appear.

Okay so it looks like the Duggars and the Bates have both stalled at 19, what is the largest fundie family. And yes I mean delivered by one mom. Not one of these I delivered 3 kids and then adopted 23, not that I don't think adoption is not real (just don't want to start that debate).

Sorry to be morbid, but I'm genuinely curious about this - say Michelle had died due to the complications she had with Josie. Do you think Jim Bob would've gone, "Gee, maybe if it hadn't been Michelle's job to be sexually available to me and my needs at all times, she'd still be here and my children would still have a mother"?
What do you think would happen to the Quiverfull movement (and Quiverfull-ish families) if mothers were dying?

Jessa said (just before getting married) on the show: â€œI guess Iâ€™m ready for it: I mean, I donâ€™t think Iâ€™d be getting married if I wasnâ€™t ready to start a family.â€
This is the problem with the whole attitude of the Duggars about marriage, no birth control and babies. They aren't allowed to grow up and be independant and leave home to live on their own and have a career (the girls at least). And if they meet someone and want to marry, they have to be ready for children because no birth control is acceptable.
Well, what about being ready for marriage but not yet ready for children? There's nothing wrong with wanting to be childless for a while after you marry to enjoy being together as a couple. I wish I'd had that but we got pregnant two weeks after the wedding (and yes, we were using birth control, but sometimes things happen). Suddenly being pregnant, and if it's a difficult pregnancy and/or delivery (which mine was), it completely becomes the focus of everything and takes over your lfe. Then you have a child that is the center of your life, which is great, but lost along the way is enjoying your coupledom, especially if you hadn't been together long before you married. But I digress (just thinkingt of Derick and Jill)...
It's like the Duggars equate sex only with procreation because without birth control you have to be prepared for a pregnancy. Where is the emphasis on just enjoying the person you love, being a couple, learning to live together and get to know each other and have fun (with sex as well as each other)? They are so young, that is what they should be focusing on! Once you have kids I don't think you are ever as carefree because you are not only tied down, but you worry about them all the time, even once they are adults themselves.
But for the Duggars ...wasn't it even when they were doing some wedding stuff (Jessa trying on wedding dress? I'm blanking) that Michelle made a comment to Ben's mom about how they'll probably be grandparents soon and his mom made the statement about just through the wedding. It's like the Duggars are so focused on babies that even the marriages of their daughters become all about having grandbabies right away. What about just enjoying the wedding for itself? Being happy they have found, in each other, someone they love and enjoy. Wishing them the fun of learning more about each other and deepening their own relationship and growing together, getting out and doing things alone together that normal people might do while dating?!
And Jessa's comment above...it's sad that she feels she has to be ready for children if she's getting married otherwise she better not be marrying. I'm not sure she's really ready for marriage either, but I think she (and a lot of the kids) ARE ready to get away from JB and M and get out on their own and have some freedom. Doing it through marriage with a guy she is attracted to, if that's the only way they are allowed, okay...but it's a shame they have to be ready for be parents at the same time. They go from being treated like little children who aren't allowed to do barely anything on their own, to suddenly being getting married which means moving out along with a boy and having sex and possibly being pregnant within a month. That's an awful lot to get used to with little preparation beyond being cleaning and babysitter slaves for their parents.

So, quiverfull families are notorious for making the entire family wear matching clothes, and for giving their kids names all starting with the same letter. (And it's not just the duggars, I did a bit of googling to confirm my "seen this around" feelings, and it does seem to be very much athing)
And it really does seem like a lot of quiverfull families have enmeshment issues.
So I was wondering, is the naming and dressing thing a result of the enmeshment? A thing encouraged by people like gothard/doug philips to promote enmeshment (even if that's not the word they'd use)? How did it become so common? To what degree is it deliberately strangling a child's ability to develop an identity? Is it just coincidental? Just what happens when you have a billion children and have to think of a load of names?
Because it really does seem like it would at minimum exacerbate enmeshment caused by the standard list of homeschooling, isolation, being "each others' best friends", excessive sin confessing, etc.
What do people think?

I just overheard someone say that three kids was "far too many children for a person to have", which was weird to me since I am one of three.
It got me thinking, I think most of us here agree that 19 kids are waaaaaay too many. But when does the line go from "a big family" to way too many?

God sitting in his favorite chair hears the prayer phone ringing with a very familiar ring. Oh god not the Duggers again he picks it up and hears the usual begging for another baby, jesus he thinks let's try it again he whispers use a condom.
Things that pop into my head when I can't sleep.